Although not my proudest moment, I have treated freshwater ich many times on my cichlids. I am fairly new to saltwater fishkeeping, so I was shocked when white spots appeared all over my clownfish on one sunny day.

It wasn’t long before I realized it was marine Ich. I quickly typed in google “white spots on clownfish” and was greeted by a flood of articles about this parasite, ranging from scientific researches to endless Reddit threads.

Marine ich (Cryptocaryon Irritatans), unlike many other diseases has been extensively studied and documented due to its high prevalence and potential risk to aquaculture.

These treatments have been extensively tested and proven to be effective in reducing the likelihood of developing a life-threatening condition.

Google and a decade-old thread on a forum helped me get rid of ich.

This blog will cover everything you need to know and how to eliminate it.

It will be a long journey. Get ready.

White Spots On Clownfish? What Do They Mean?

White spots on clownfish are a sign of marine ich (Cryptocaryon.irritans), a common disease in saltwater fish that is caused by an external parasite. After the clownfish has been infested, they will develop white cysts, which look like salt grains on their skin, gins and even within their gills.

Clownfishes are most likely to have marine ich because of their labored breathing and their frequent rubbing against other objects.

The parasite blocks the fish’s gills, inhibits respiration and causes itchy sensations.

Once the parasite has established itself in an aquarium, it can be difficult to control. There are many life stages for the parasite, so recurrent infections can be expected.

It is essential to understand the life cycle of ich before you can banish it. Any treatment that you give would be a shot in dark.

Before I tell you about the various life stages, let me show you the most common white spots found on clownfish.

How Do I Know If My Clownfish Has Ich?

A clownfish, or any fish, will show tiny white dots all over their body. This includes the tail, fins and gills. The sad thing is that your clownfish will likely look fine and not be sick until the parasite has gone through a few lifecycles.

It may take days, or even weeks depending on how hot the water is.

Sometimes, even if you are aware of the situation, it may be too late to act.

If your fish hasn’t been acting normally lately, you should be on the lookout for signs of anomaly.

Here are some symptoms of marine ich in clownfish

• A few tiny white spots scattered across the body
• Flashing- Frequently scratching the body against rocks or decors
• Loss of scales
• Laboured breathing
• Lethargy
• No appetite
• Erratic Swimming Patterns
• Colors to be changed in skin or scale
• Increased mucus output
• Standing still at the surface or below

Although it may sound strange, parasites that cause ich almost always live in the tank. It is possible to prevent ich from happening by keeping healthy fish around.

The parasites can quickly infiltrate the flesh of fish that have been stressed or their immune systems compromised.

It’s best to be cautious if your fish shows any of these signs along with white spots.

However, it is possible to mistake other diseases for ich.

Fractures of the cartilage of the fin can often look the same as ich, but they are much less dangerous.

A viral disease called lymphocytes may also cause tiny white bumps in fish.

Sometimes, it can be as harmless as an anemone’s bite.

Let’s take a look at the marine ich life cycle.

The Life Cycle Of Marine Ich

The life cycle of a marine ich includes 4 stages during which the parasite can take on 5 different forms.

These are the five forms:

• Trophont
• Protomont
• Tomont
• Tomite
• Theront

These are the four stages:

• Infection
• Feeding
• Drop-off
• Reproduction

It can be difficult to get rid of these parasites due to their complicated life cycle. These parasites can only be treated when they are free-swimming.

If the parasite does not reach this stage by the end of treatment, then the treatment will be thrown away and the parasites will infect the fish again.

If not treated promptly, parasites in closed systems like tanks can quickly grow to be a problem.

Trophont

This stage is where parasites appear as small white dots on infected fish. Once the parasite has been eliminated, it will continue to feed on the fish until it is strong enough to enter the next stage.

Protomont

After about 2-10 days of feeding your fish, the parasite will begin to fall off the tank’s bottom and then it will prepare for the next stage. The parasite is now known as protomont.

The transition from protomont to trophont is similar to the way a Deer Tick drops off an animal’s skin after it has drunk enough blood.

Tomont

The parasite must be embedded into the substrate within 8 hours. After this, it is called tomont.

These tomites are the last stage of saltwater parasite. The tomont can reproduce for up to 72 days before it releases free-swimming parasites.

Many hobbyists fall for this trick and think they have eradicated the ich. The parasite can remain on your substrate for up to 72 days without any visible signs of infection.

Theront

The child cells are released and can survive in open water for approximately 8 hours. It will actively search for a fish to latch onto during this period in an effort to restart the life cycle.

Research has shown that the ich parasite evolved to infect fish at night, when they are asleep. This dramatically increases the chances of finding a host.

The life cycle of the fish will continue until it is either able to fight off the infection or dies from it.

Now that you are better informed about the lifecycle of an ich, let’s discuss some treatment options.

How Do You Get Rid Of Ich On Clownfish?

The treatment of marine ich has been extensively documented and researched. Unfortunately, many people still have misconceptions about marine ich. First, you need to understand that there is no safe treatment for marine Ich. Treatments that kill the parasite will also kill corals, shrimps and snails.

Second, marine Ich isn’t sensitive to temperature changes, unlike freshwaterich. Consequently, raising the temperature won’t help the parasite’s lifespan.

Third, adding shrimp or fish that are cleaner will not help. Because the parasite penetrates the skin beneath the mucus layer, it can cause severe irritation. Fortunately, shrimp and fish that are cleaner won’t be able to reach this area.

Two proven and effective methods to eliminate marine ich are chloroquine-based medications and copper sulfate.

This is a drug-grade product that requires prescriptions from your vet. Hobbyists tend to stick with copper treatments.

After some research, I discovered that you can purchase chloroquinephosphate online via eBay and other sites. They are not medical-grade products, however.

Avoid them.

Copper-based Ich Treatment For Ich

Copper poison is comparable to chemotherapy for fish. Copper can cause death if it is not controlled. Before you apply any copper-based treatment to fish, make sure you have a reliable copper test kit.

Seachem’s kit is highly recommended, as API copper tests can be somewhat misleading.

Because copper levels must be maintained at a certain level in the tank, test kits are essential. The therapeutic level is the concentration that varies from product to product.

It is important to maintain the therapeutic copper level throughout the treatment.

It will help the ich emerge victorious after treatment, while excessively doing it can cause death to your fish.

Copper is not effective in killing saltwater ich, as discussed in the life-cycle segment.

We can’t eliminate Cryptocaryon Irritatans from the reproduction and feeding stages so our goal is to end the cycle after the Tomont stage.

The treatment time will vary depending on how long it takes for the parasites to stop swimming. It takes on average 30 days. Sometimes, however, it can take up to 72 days for them to reach the free-swimming stage.

We should play chicken with the parasite and the host fish. Each party will gradually be exposed to poison until the other one succumbs.

It sounds dark, I’m sorry.

Here’s a list of the top-rated copper-based medicines to treat saltwaterich.

Seachem’s Cupramine

Seachem is a well-known brand when it comes to all things fish. This copper-based treatment is effective against saltwater and freshwater fish ich.

It is an ionic copper medicine. It is non-acidic, so it does not harm the biofilter bacteria. You’d still need the invertebrates to be removed before you can treat the tank.

First, turn off UV and ozone filters to dose Cupramine. Next, remove chemical filtering like activated carbon.

For every 10.5 gallons water, you should use 1 ml treatment. Then wait 48 hours and then repeat the treatment. Finally, leave the concentration alone for 14 days.

Before you redo the tank, make sure to check the copper levels.

Fritz Aquatics’ Mardel Coppersafe

Fritz Aquatics’ Mardel Coppersafe, like Cupramine is used to treat saltwater ich and freshwater ich as well as Velvet, and other parasites.

It is a liquid-based product that contains chelated copper. The therapeutic level of the product is between 1.5 and 2.0 ppm. It is important to remove all invertebrates from the area before you start using it.

Add 1 teaspoon of medication to every 4 gallons. The solution will remain active in the tank for longer than one month.

Copper-Free Treatment For Marine Ich

Ruby Reef offers a good copper-free option if you don’t like copper-based treatments.

It is free from harm to fish, corals, and invertebrates because it contains aminoacridine and formalin.

Sincerely, I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of this treatment.

It is deemed potent if combined with KICK-ICH, which is a copper-free treatment.

First, turn off carbon filtration and any absorbent media to dose RALLY. Next, turn off any UV sterilizers or protein skimmers. For 3 days, you will need 1 ounce of RALLY per 5 gallons water.

To be safe, it doesn’t matter what treatment you use. You should still keep an eye on your tank for the next 30-90 days.

Saltwater ich is sneaky and hard to beat.

A few hobbyists have accidentally transferred fish from their quarantine tanks to the main aquarium too quickly and then reintroduced parasites again.

Does Hyposalinity Treatment Work To Kill Saltwater Ich?

During my research, I found a few hobbyists that advocated hyposalinity treatment over harsh chemicals. This method is suitable for those who don’t want to expose their fish to chemicals.

You will need to dip the infected fish for a time in freshwater or low salinity water. The parasite’s cell membranes will burst due to water absorption at lower salinity.

In a well-aerated quarantine tank, reduce the salt level to 0.35% (one-tenth seawater strength). Add the fish.

It is best to remove the fish within 2 hours. If it is showing signs of stress, you can remove it sooner.

Repeat the process once per day until there are no white dots on the fish.

Some Tips To Prevent White Spots (Ich) On Clownfish In Future 

• You should quarantine all fish, corals and invertebrates for approximately 45 to 90 days.
• Before sterilizing and sanitizing your aquariums, do not share any equipment.
• Keep hospital tanks at least 10 ft away from the community tank.
• If you have the experience, pretreat fresh fish with copper.
• At all times, maintain water parameters and tank maintenance.
• Only buy plants from tanks that aren’t home to any other creatures.
• Do not add water from the pouch to your aquarium.

Frequently Asked Questions

Black Ich On Clownfish

There is a black version of ich which can infect clownfish and other marine animals like tangs. This disease is caused by a parasiticworm.

Black ich is commonly treated with Prazipro, Freshwater Dip, and API General Cure.

My Clownfish Has White Spots, But It’s Not Ich. What Could They Be?

White spots are not a symptom that is only found in ich. Other equally serious aquarium diseases can also cause white spots on fish’s bodies. Some of these include severe velvet disease, lymphocystis viruses, brooklynella diseases, stress spots and columnaris.

Why Are There White Spots On My Black Clownfish?

Marine ich is the most likely cause of white spots on black clownfish. It could also be an indication of another serious disorder, such as brooklynella or severe velvet disease, as described above.

What Are Some Common Clownfish Diseases?

Clownfish, in addition to marine ich and other diseases, are also susceptible to the following:

• Marine velvet
• Brooklynella
• Urpema Marinum
• Flukes
• Bacterial infected
• Black ich
• Line erosion Head and lateral
• Swimbladder Disease

Final Words: White Spots On Clownfish!

White spots on clownfish can be a sign that there is marine ich. This parasite is Cryptocaryon Irritatans.

Other than the white spots, fish may also show other signs such as panting, flashing and loss of appetite.

Although copper-based treatments are effective in eliminating ich, it can prove difficult due to the complexity of the parasite’s life cycle.

However, white spots can sometimes appear on clownfish due to ich. Other health conditions, such as velvet or brooklynella, could also be the cause.